Spectre623

Herk 336, have you read "Herk: Hero of the skies" by Joe Dabney? Mucho info on the Herk and its development. Bill

That's funny RZ, I went to school on B-47's at Amarillo and then straight to A models at Sewart. Don't know if it is the A model in the first post but the 3 bladed props off one of the A models at Sheppard ended up on our gunship at Dobbins. Looks real nice with those 3 bladers. Hey MIKE-1 do you remember the tail#? Bill

You are SO right on the P.I. losing BIG BUCKS on our leaving. A few rinkey dink sorry sorry stores on Clark and Cubie Point will never make up what was lost! What do they say about hind sight? Bill

Don't know if it's 100% true but was stationed at Dobbins with a couple of guys who were there when she blew and all the locks and stocks and barrels were full of ash. Also I believe the P.I congress voted to not renew the lease since our 99 year lease was up. True or false? Bill

It seems that all the wars we have fought in my lifetime, that is since WW2, were fought for the good of a people who were being forced into a way of life that was against all America stood for. They were started for a good reason but finished wrong, starting with Korea. Seems when the folks back home are not included in at least some of the hardships of a country at war they seem to soon forget we who are in the war. As a result they are soon out protesting against the war no matter the good reason it was started. I enlisted in 1962 and recieved my draft notice while in AF basic training. This is the greatest country in the world because we have had men go into war not because they wanted to or thought it was right, but because in the past we were taught from childhood and including in school, that it was our responsibility. We were taught as American citizens to go into the military and do our part for our country whether we were at peace or at war. Any help from schools nowdays to that respect, has gone in the opposite direction. Our country is on the downhill slide due to our broken moral compass and system of "lazie fare", but it is still MY country right or wrong. And yes, I would go again if called and serve proudly. I could never look in the mirror again if asked to serve my country and not do it. Bill

NATOPS1, the AF uses the static line winches connected to a restraint strap cutter on CDS bundles as well as a static line retiever. During rigging the switch is bumped many times to take the slack out of the cable. The tension has to be just right when the drop is made as the winch only runs a few seconds when the copilot hits the green light . We have a FUT at Dobbins and the winches on it get a huge work out. When the winches were designed, they had only one function and that as we all know was to pull the static lines back inside the aircraft. An 80 amp limiter was good enough then...but with the additional requirement as a CDS strap cutter, the whole system is strained. There were 3 different brand of winches when I retired in 2003 and who is to say they were all built within the same tolerences as the original, supposed to but...... Also wear and tolerence creep of the electrical and mechanical components of the winch and wiring could total up to more than an 80 amp draw. 1038CC have ops notify you the next time they rig a CDS and eyeball the whole procedure. Also note how many turns of 80 lb. tape used to secure the static line cable to the winch cable. Might be an real eye opener to you. On a more humorous note, I was on a troopdrop at 29 Palms years ago and was standing under the left winch as the bags were being pulled and they caught on the ADS arm in the rear and it pulled the winch off of FS 245 before the load saw what was happening and let go of the switch.It never did blow the limiter. Bill

It appears and sounds like an AH-64 Apache firing a missle and it's 30mm chain gun. One person is calling range at 2500 meters which would be well with in range of the M-230 gun. Bill

Was in Rescue back in the 70's. The ODS was used to deliver rescue bundles out the backend. The pilot had an intervolemeter on his lt. side panel and could set up the number of bundles to be dropped. The ODS was a big head knocker. The drive motor shear pins were a weak point. We used the ODS to lift and drag the 1800 gal fuse tanks out the back before each phase insp. Other than that it was just in the way most of the time. Bill

Yes Bob it was. I had been TDY with him back to San Antonio once or twice and he really made you feel welcome. The 700th has a memorial near their ops building to him. A fine man. Bill

You are correct Hedjhopper, and we got back home in Febuary, the day after the HTTB crashed at Dobbins...a very sad day as one of our reserve FE's was on board. Bill

Can't ever remember hearing a Herk brake squeal, lots of clanking and roaring though. I have seen the inner bearing left out during a tire change. Not a pretty picture. Were the inner bearings taken out and inspected. With the inner bearing grease seal in place it is hard to see if all the rollers are in the bearing. Bad inner bearing would side load the brake and axle big time. Sounds serious whatever you have...If it's squealing...it ain't happy!!

Thanks Casey, for posting the pics of 129's wing burning and of Leo Sullivan I sent you. He and 129 were amazing. For you Herk freaks who haven't read it, "Herk, Hero of the Skies" is a "must read". The book was written by Joseph E. Dabney, Lockheed's Public Affairs guy for about 30 years. It has a lot of insight to the good and bad times of the Herk. Made a trip to Willow Run, Mich. in July 1985 with Joe to the Yankee Air Force Hanger for a celebration of the 30th anniversity of the Herk. At that time we had the newest 130 ,(84-0205) and Duke field sent one of their older ones. 129 was not able to come for some reason. Needless to say it was a huge party!!! A retired 2 star met us on the plane and gave us several 6 packs and 3 sets of keys to new Linclon Towncars. I can't stand Wild Turkey to this day. Some welcome!! Bill

C-130A's originally had no external fuel tanks. Look at any early pictures. TCTO 1C-130A-111 had provisions for two 500 gallon fuel tanks in the cargo cmpt. All A's were not modded as the AF realized they took up to much space..duh? Later TCTO 1C-130A-778 is when the A got the two 450 gallon non-jettisonable pylon tanks. This info is from a Lockheed pub printed in 1991. Bill

Casey, I have a couple of pics of 129 burning and after the fire was put out that I will e mail you. Post them if you want. Also have a pic of Leo Sullivan 3 days before the fire ,that he autographed after I had lunch with him and gave him a tour of 54-1623 at Dobbins not to long before he passed away. He was in his 80s and he talked about flying the first Herk and the fire as though it was yesterday. What a guy. Bill

Hey Eclark I remember the washrack well, all of us APG jeeps had to spend our first 30 days at Sewart washing Herks. I remember a huge brush with wheels on a long curved handle we used to scrub the belly with. We put skin brightner on them after we washed them. They were shiney alum at that time. I remember the washrack NCOIC was a 20 year SSgt who changed into civvies after work and hitch hiked home everyday. Remember washing the red and blue water paint off the wings after the wargames. What a mess. Bill

That was (is) standard practice for the AF also. You would get yelled at if you just went to Door Close or just pulled the EMER release handle. Bill

Yes Sonny, they turned over all the AC-47s and I beleve all the AC-119s along with about 18 C-130A's with several BLU-82s (15000 lb) bombs that the SVN used pretty well. Sam M. isn't there documentation on one bomb drop by SVN that killed about 100 or more NVA ? Bill

Was looking thru the Lockheed Service News # 27 on this site and saw a picture of the Sewart AFB flight line back in 1961 on the front cover. It looked the same as when I signed in April 1963. The 314 th Herks occupy the first half of the flt line closest to the camera. The back half of the flt. line belonged to the 4442 CCTW/ 4445/46thCCTS. "I" row which was the maint eng run row was to the extreme left of the pic. The fuel pits (10 each) are closest to the camera and run from left to right. Most all training flights ended on the pits where they were debriefed, fueled and launched for the evening sorties. Along the right extreme side was the 6 nose docks. In the fatherest far view were the two Periodic Insp docks and next to them was the "Big Hanger" which could hold four Herks at once. I think you can count 60 or 70 C-130s in the pic and there are a few more parking spots not shown. I spent 4 great years there as a C/C in the 314th OMS and a scanner in the 4445thCCTS. 18 miles from Nashville. What a HUGH shame for that base to be closed! It WAS the AF's best kept secret!!! Bet a lot of you OLD guys remember this scene also. Bill

For you guys who were wondering about Rich Piacentine aka crewchef from CCK. I emailed him and he is alive and kicking . He still breeds his dogs and says he is super busy with his job and says HI to all. Bill

Hey Jim that is great. Makes good sense not to throw away all those years of active duty...plus the out fit at Maxwell can use a good wrench like you. You will be glad you stuck it out when you hit 60. Those are a great bunch of guys at Maxwell, have been on many a deployment with them. Went to the desert twice with them and several Panama rotes with them. Bill

You are right ECLARK and we all knew it too. I knew I was a Viet Vet all along but it's sweet to have that official letter from Randolph AFB and that cute little medal. As I asked in my first post ; Did you old Clark,CCK and Naha 130 maint. guys normally GET or NOT GET awarded the VNSM ? I know the flight crews got them. Just never seemed important back then to us maint pukes. Bill

No Muff I ain't "Crew chief". That was Rich Pasintine (sp). He lives over in Hirem Ga. not to far from you.Haven't heard from Rich since after he left Toyota in Marietta. I'm Bill down the road from you. Remember lunch at Vittles just after you moved here? Bill

A few months ago I decided to drop a line to the AF records correction guys. I told them I had never gotten the VN service medal and campain medal but had been TDY several times to VN from Clark. Sent them copies of orders, travel vouchers and 214's etc.. Well they just sent me a nice official letter with one each (MEDAL SET,VIETNAM SERVICE ,REGULAR SIZE) They said I spent over 5 months in-country and an updated 214 will be sent to me. Well 40 years late ain't too bad for our gub-ment I guess, ha ha . The campain medal has to be approved by another office, down the hall. I guess it pays to keep your old paperwork! Was this normal to NOT get the medal because we were TDY or did most of you old Clark, CCK and Naha guys get your Vietnam medals?

I think the records show the first 18 built had the side opening NLG doors. Bill

Way to go Casey. All the problems I had with the old format are gone;) with this new set up. Thanks for hanging in there. Bill